Historic Los Angeles & Delectable Bites
Location: Downtown LA
Duration: 3 hours
Not suitable for vegetarians, vegans, or gluten-free guests—please take our LA Taco Tour instead
Our Chinatown and Olvera Street Food Tour starts in the birthplace of Los Angeles and features delicious food from a wide diversity of ethnicities and cuisines. You’ll learn the history of LA’s oldest districts and visit some of the city’s most impactful public art and architecture—including beautiful Union Station, numerous WPA frescoes, and one of the 20th century’s most scandalous murals.
Discover the site of the city’s founding, explore charming Olvera Street and historic Chinatown, uncover LA literary and film history, and sample some of the city’s best handmade dumplings, sandwiches, pizza, and traditional Chinese pastry at 5 distinct and memorable establishments.
This 3-hour Chinatown & Olvera Street Food Tour is great for locals and visitors alike and is the perfect activity for a birthday or anniversary celebration, bachelor/bachelorette party, honeymoon, or team building event for coworkers.
Tour Overview
What’s Included
5 food stops (adds up to a filling lunch)
History of the oldest part of the city & its founding
Stunning public art & architecture
The story of Chinatown and Olvera Street
Film and literary history of downtown LA
What’s Not Included
Drinks
Tour guide gratuity
(15-20% recommended)
Meeting Location
Outside of Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church at
535 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Itinerary
Eat delicious food
We’ll visit 5 establishments on our Chinatown & Olvera Street Food Tour featuring a variety of cuisines, ranging from iconic Chinese dumplings and pastry to Italian and French-inspired fare.
Stroll through Chinatown
Learn about Chinatown’s origins in the 1850s and its development in the 1930s, and sample some of its tastiest handmade dumplings and baked goods.
Explore Olvera Street
One of Los Angeles’ oldest and most culturally significant streets filled with merchants whose families have been operating their puestos (or stalls) since the 1930s.
Discover El Pueblo de Los Angeles
Find out about the birthplace of Los Angeles, its history of free speech and political organizing, and its beautiful Victorian architecture.
Visit America Tropical Interpretive Center
See America Tropical by muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros, which shocked the public and wowed the art world when it was revealed in 1932.
Stop by Union Station
Often called “the last of the great train stations,” this beauty from 1939 will dazzle architecture lovers.
Admire WPA Murals
Los Angeles Terminal Annex Post Office, built in Spanish Colonial Revival / Mission Revival style, contains eleven intriguing WPA murals depicting the cultural contributions of the Americas.
What Our Guests Say
Scarlet was amazing, highly recommended tour! Such a great way to get to know LA and such enjoyable food.
Lee A.
Ohio
We had a wonderful tour! Who doesn’t want to wander around Los Angeles eating delicious things? This was a great opportunity to hear the stories behind historic facades and get a deeper understanding of LA’s evolution. Bonus: cake.
Jonathan
Oregon
We had such a lovely day learning about the architecture and history of this city along with some yummy food treats. We are full and happy.
Linda B.
California
Great way to explore the city. Come with an empty stomach. What was a nice surprise was Scarlet’s knowledge of architecture and seeing the murals at the post office, Union Station, etc. We hit New Orleans, Mexican, Chinese, etc.
Diana B.
Ohio
